The present invention relates to medical instruments and more particularly, a surgical probe and valve assembly and threaded quick disconnect adapter used to connect a valve device to probes used in laparoscopic surgery.
Laparoscopy has become increasingly popular as a less invasive procedure than traditional surgical procedures. Laparoscopy is commonly known as a surgical procedure in which a scope is inserted into the abdomen of a patient through a small incision. One type of medical device commonly used in laparoscopy is a suction/irrigator, which is capable of providing both suction and irrigation at the desired location within the patient. A suction/irrigator typically includes a valve device for controlling the suction/irrigation and a cannula or probe extending from the valve device. One example of the valve device is commonly known as a trumpet valve and is disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,591, incorporated herein by reference. Different types of probes have been designed for different types of procedures or functions.
In use, the probe attached to the valve device is inserted into the incision within the patient to perform a surgical operation while enabling suction and irrigation of fluids within the patient. During electrosurgical laparoscopy, the suction might also be used to evacuate smoke created as a byproduct of the electrosurgery. Sometimes, during a procedure, probes having different tip designs are needed for different functions. At one time, suction/irrigators were made with the probe permanently fixed to the valve as a one piece unit. Thus, if a physician needed to change the type of probe during a procedure, the entire unit needed to be replaced.
As a result of this inconvenience, interchangeable, detachable probes were developed, that can be attached to and detached from the trumpet valve during a procedure. Initially, a threaded connection was used between the probes and valve device. Because threading and unthreading the probes using these earlier threaded connections required too much time during the surgical procedure, quick disconnect fittings were designed in an effort to provide faster attachment and detachment. One example of such a quick disconnect fitting is disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,510, incorporated herein by reference. This type of quick disconnect fitting uses a detent/groove combination that provides for quick attachment and detachment of a probe tip to the fitting without having to thread the probe onto the fitting.
Although this quick disconnect fitting enables a quicker attachment and detachment of probes, this fitting is susceptible to the accidental detachment of the probe since only friction holds the probe onto the adapter. When surgeons use the probe to lift or move organs, this pressure on the probe may cause detachment as well as stress on the adapter. If the adapter wall is too thin to hold up under such stress, the adapter may break off the trumpet valve, for example, when the probe is used as a retractor. Reliance on a friction fit for engagement between the probe and adapter may also result in a connection that is either too loose or too tight, particularly when the adapter is made of plastic and the probe hub is made of metal. Repeated use by way of the push/pull attachment also causes wear, resulting in a loose fitting that is even more susceptible to inadvertent detachment.
Accordingly, a need exists for a threaded quick disconnect adapter that provides a quicker attachment and detachment than the conventional threaded connection while assuring that the probe cannot accidentally be detached merely by pulling the probe and/or valve in a linear direction.
The present invention features a threaded quick disconnect adapter for connecting probes to a valve device. The adapter comprises an adapter body having a first end and a second end and defining an inner passageway extending from the first end to the second end. A valve engaging portion is disposed on the first end of the adapter body for engaging the valve device. A threaded probe engaging portion is disposed on a second end of the adapter body for engaging a probe base on one of the probes. A sealing portion is also disposed on the second end of the adapter body for sealing against the probe base.
The valve engaging portion is preferably threaded to threadably engage a corresponding threaded region on the probe fitting on the valve device. The threaded probe engaging portion preferably has an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the sealing portion. The sealing portion preferably includes one or more annular grooves disposed around the second end of the adapter body and one or more O-rings seated within the respective one or more annular grooves. In one embodiment, a collar is disposed between the valve engaging portion and the probe engaging portion.
The present invention also features a surgical assembly including any combination of the threaded quick disconnect adapter, the valve device, and one or more probes.
The present invention also features a valve having the adapter integrally attached or as one-piece with the valve outlet.